Melting and esterifying apparatus



May 29, 1934. J. SOMMER 1,960,855

l MELTING AND ESTERIFYING APPARATUS Filed April 23. 1929 EN f e l l a! kL Tfr;1` L 9 NEUE ZVWHFFI l' Il d a H Ily z :A 12g-:trg f F55' .2 EL c'mi' 1579.3. l l 1 /A//ff/x/ra/e f/ots-f-La/v/Vs-e Patented May 29, 1934UNITED STATES PTNT OFFICE Application April 23, 1929, Serial No. 357,496En Germany September 25, 1928 4 Claims.

This invention is directed to a means for melting and esterifying copaland resin wherein such may be provided in large quantities withoutliability of re hazard and without the usual darkening incident to thepresent methods employed..

As now practiced, it has been possible to melt only comparatively smallcharges of copal and these respective quantities are usually notuniform. The previous mechanisms required very high temperatures,constituting a fire hazard, and further resulting in an undesirabledarkening of the product.

The present invention is designed to prevent the dangerous foaming ofthe copal and a simultaneously rapid discharge of the vapors from thefusion under a rapid melting of the copal, and the function of theapparatus tending to this result insures a uniform product whilepermitting the handling of the material in large quantities.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a plan oi the centrifugal stirrer, and

Figure 3 shows a plan of the installation.

The boiler a has a foam divider b, upon which is provided the bottomcentrifugal stirrer c. The foam divider b is driven by means of a ropeor chain drive d from a transmission or motor. A

Y vapor draw-oir conduit e passes from the boiler a to the tube coolerf, thence to the condensate container g. The glycerine is in a reservoirh, and is thence introduced into the boiler a through the glycerinearrangement i.

During the esterication, the glycerine vapors are condensed in the tubecooler f, g, and pass through the tubular conduit lc into the glycerineseparating vessel Z. The glycerine runs from the separating vessel lthrough the tubular conduit q, back into the boiler a.

The melting boiler has a manhole opening a1, for the introduction of thematerial to be melted, and is further provided with an air admissionvalve m and thermometers n and o. The indifferent gas necessary for themelting process is introduced into the boiler through a shiftable carbondioxide tube p. On the front of the boiler is arranged an esterdischarge cock r for the emptying of the boiler, and also a test cock s.

The melting boiler is lled through the manhole with copal or resin toone-fourth to twothirds of its capacity, and the bottom is heated withgas, oil or solid fuel. Upon the starting of the heating, an indifferentgas, for example carbon dioxide is conducted into the boiler by means ofa pipe which is adjustable in height. As soon as the resin or copalbecomes liquid, the stirring mechanism which is provided with a foamdivider is seiJ into operation, and the pipe through which theindifferent gas is introduced into the boiler is shifted nearly to thebottom of the boiler,

so that the gas bubbles upwardly through the liquid molten material. Bymeans of the bottom stirring mechanism a good transfer of heat from thebottom of the boiler to the material to be melted is provided and anoverheating and too great darkening of the material to be melted isprevented. Simultaneously, an overflow of foam of the material beingmelted is prevented by the foam divider in cooperation with theintroduction of the indifferent gas.

The vapors in manufacture are withdrawn through a water-cooled tubecooler, which is connected to a suction arrangement or fan.

In order to provide an elicient withdrawal of the manufacturing vaporsfrom the closed boiler, an air introducing valve is provided which maybe opened as required. The vapors condensed in the tube cooler flow intoa vessel through an appropriately arranged Siphon tube. The temperatureof the non-condensable gases discharging from the cooler is measuredthrough an appropriately arranged thermometer.

The temperature at which the fusion takes place amounts to about 280 to300, in contrast to the temperatures, which in the boilers nowordinarily in use amount to 360 and over. In order to take samples ofthe melt, a test cock is provided upon the boiler.

After completion of the melting of the copal or the resin, theesterication takes place. In the case of copal, for this purpose, thenecessary amount of linseed oil for the solution of the copal isintroduced into the boiler through an appropriate valve; in the case ofresin the addition of oil takes place only after esterication.

The amounts of glycerine or the like necessary for the esterilcation arefilled into a reservoir and added through a distributing worm, under thepressure of carbon dioxid at a predetermined temperature, to the melt.The vapors liberated in the reaction pass through the tube cooler andhere become condensed. The water vapors, on the other hand, pass to thedraw-off arrangement, because the temperature of the cooler at the upperportion is adjusted to about 100. From the tube cooler the condensatesare caught in a separating vessel, and here they separate in accordancewith their specific weights, and in fact the separating vessel is soarranged that the specically heaviest condensate, namely glycerine,

continually iiows back into the boiler, while the resin and copal oilcondensates and the like continually discharge from the separatingvessel into a vessel at a lower level.

After the completion of the esterication, the emptying of the boiler maytake place through a discharge Valve or by pumping out or forcing out.

What is claimed to be new is:

1. An apparatus for melting and esterifying copal in quantities inexcess of 100 kg., comprising a vertical boiler, a centrifugal stirringmechanism at the bottom of the boiler, a foam divider at the upperportion of the boiler, a glycerine reserVoir, a cooler, the boiler beingopen between the glycerine reservoir and the cooler, a condensateseparator connected with the cooler, a tubular conduit leading from theseparator to the boiler to return the condensate to the boiler, andmeans for delivering a neutral gas to the boiler.

2. An apparatus for melting and esterifying copal in quantities inexcess o1" l0() kg., comprising a vertical boiler designed to be closedvaportight, a centrifugal stirring mechanism at the bottom of theboiler, a foam divider at the upper portion of the boiler, a glycerinereservoir, a tube cooler, the boiler being arranged between tbeglycerine reservoir and the cooler, and means for delivering anindifferent gas to the boiler.

3. An apparatus for melting and esterifying copal in quantities inexcess of 100 kg., comprising a vertical boiler, a centrifugal stirringmechanism at the bottom of the boiler, a foam divider at the upperportion of the boiler, a tube for admitting a neutral gas to the boiler,said tube being arranged for vertical adjustment within the boiler, aglycerine reservoir, and a tube cooler, the boiler being arrangedbetween the glycerine reservoir and the cooler.

4. An apparatus for melting and esterifying copal in quantities inexcess of 100 kg., comprising a vertical boiler designed to be closedvaportight, a centrifugal stirring mechanism at the bottom of theboiler, a foam divider at the upper portion of the boiler, a neutral gasadmisssion tube opening within the boiler and adjustable for deliveringthe gas at different depths within the boiler, a glycerine reservoir, atube cooler, the boiler being arranged between the glycerine reservoirand tube cooler, a condensate separator connected with the cooler, and acommunication between the separator and boiler to return the condensateto the boiler.

JOSEF SOMMER. [L. S.]

